Cashew financiers

No doubt about it, these little French tea cakes, known as financiers, are one of my all-time favorite treats.  My husband and I just adore them and they are my favorite ways to use up egg whites.  Since I've been making plenty of ice cream this summer, I've had the chance to whip up a few batches.

This might be getting old...I've talked about this a lot!  I know it and I just can't help it. I've taken the original financier recipe and made hazelnut, pistachio, and matcha versions.  I usually stick with the original but since I make these often enough, it's fun to change it up a little.  Basically, I'll make any excuse to make, eat, and post about these darling little cakes!

This time, I made a batch using cashew nuts.  At the very basic level, financiers are super moist sponge cakes made here with browned butter, egg whites, sugar, ground nuts (normally almonds but you can vary this like I do, this time with cashews) and a little flour.  I'm telling you, the result is magical!  It's nutty, it's super moist and tender, and full of this amazing brown butter flavor.

We adore cashews.  Growing up, my mother fried cashews for a chicken and cashew stir-fry dish that was, and still is, a family favorite.  I cook with it myself at home and it's a favorite nut to snack on (I used to keep just almonds on hand for snacking but in the past year, I started roasting batches of mixed nuts and keeping a jar on hand...everyone digs for the cashews!).  Lately, I've been thinking it would be fun to incorporate cashews a bit more into my baking.

The funny thing is, in this case, these cashew financiers don't taste all that different from the standard ones made with ground almonds.  In other words, they turned out utterly delicious!  

I often tuck a little chestnut cream (my stash of which has been replenished thanks to my sister hauling back several cans for me from her vacation in Europe) into our financiers and that is incredible!  This time, I put a little peach jam into one - you can use any kind of jam or even plop a piece of fruit inside.  And you see that runny center there?  Here's the thing - it's a little under-baked, on purpose.  

Peach jam inside...and an under-baked center, which I do often because it's really tasty!

We think that a gooey center, where the batter isn't quite baked through, is the best part (that and the crisp edges)!  It's very much like under-baking brownies or cookies for that soft, gooey center.  Maybe you wouldn't want to serve them this way to guests but for eating ourselves, we like them under-bake.  This is a matter of personal preference; if you prefer the cakes fully set, just leave the batter out at room temperature a little longer before baking and keep them in the oven a few extra minutes; you could test it with a cake tester.  They're fabulous either way.


I usually make a small batch of four financiers, baked in a regular muffin tin, and that requires 3 egg whites to start with.  It's a great use for egg whites after making ice cream!

Ground nuts, usually almonds, is a key part of the recipe.  Here, I used toasted cashews and I use my little mini processor to blitz it up.

This is the recipe that made me really appreciate brown butter.  I take 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter and let it cook and sizzle in a small skillet until browned.  It smells like hazelnuts.  And the best part of making these financiers, almost as good as eating them, is the moment when I stir the warm browned butter into the rest of the batter. The aroma is like the most amazing butterscotch/caramel...

Keep stirring and the brown butter will eventually fully incorporate with the rest of the ingredients into this batter.  

These are a nice make-ahead, as the batter can be refrigerated for up to 3 days before baking.  Even though they disappear quickly from my plate, they always feel like such a treat for breakfast.


Cashew Financiers
Adapted from the financier recipe found in Paris Sweets (please see this post of mine for more details) 

- Makes 4 financiers, baked in standard size muffin tins (you can easily double the recipe) -

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup (100 g) sugar

1/2 cup (50 g) ground cashews (I use toasted, unsalted) 

3 large egg whites

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Optional filling: Jam (such as peach or apricot)

Brown the butter: Place butter into a small skillet.  Cook over medium heat and bring it to a boil, swirling the pan occasionally.  It will sputter and sizzle as it cooks.  Continue cooking until butter turns a deep brown.  Watch closely since it can turn black in a matter of seconds.  Remove pan from the heat and keep it in a warm spot nearby.

Using a wooden spoon, mix sugar and the ground cashews together in a large saucepan.  Stir in the egg whites and place the pan over low heat.  Stirring constantly, warm the mixture until it turns runny, slightly white in color, and feels hot to the touch, about 2-3 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat.  Stir in flour.  Then gradually stir in the browned butter until incorporated. 

Transfer the batter into a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface.  Chill for at least 1 hour (or up to 3 days).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Coat 4 cups of a standard size muffin tin with baking spray.  Fill each cup using an ice cream scoop.  [If using optional filling, fill a cup about 2/3 of the way, add a teaspoon or so of jam, then cover with more batter.) Bake until financiers are golden, feel springy to the touch, and the tops have domed and opened up a bit, approximately 12-14 minutes.

Turn the financiers out (using a blunt knife if necessary) to cool on a cooling rack. They are best eaten the day they are baked, and even better fresh and slightly warm from the oven.  Just cooled to room temperature, the corners are especially crisp.